Dog Days

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT DOG DAYS - PAGE 4

The "dog days" of summer have traditionally referred to those last, long, scorching moments when the heat has wrung every ounce of strength and patience from people who are praying that the coolness of autumn will soon have its way. But in Schaumburg, "Dog Days" is the name of a two-week-long sports and activity camp that is being offered for the second year by the Park District. For young children, the camp serves as a "bridge" between the end of summer activities and the beginning of school.

Austria's Ulrich Seidl, six of whose hypnotic and horrific works get their Chicago premieres starting Friday at Facets Multimedia, is a brilliant chronicler of the hell of everyday life. He is a documentarian in the tradition of Luis Bunuel ("Land Without Bread") and Werner Herzog: an artist whose realistic, unsparing films about "ordinary" people leading terrible lives have a whiff of the surreal. An unblinking recorder of loneliness and the banal depths of modernity, Seidl focuses on the kind of people we almost never see in movies: solitary, unattractive, overweight, frustrated, failed, secretly perverse and inarticulate denizens of today's suburbs and cities.

Dear Ann Landers: The month of July is a very special month because it includes your birthday and many commemorations marking the days and weeks of the month. Though not widely known, it was on July 2, not July 4, that the Continental Congress passed a resolution initially declaring the independence of the colonies. Introduced on June 7, 1776, by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, the resolution stated: "Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.

In the three years since Florence + the Machine singer Florence Welch first made waves in the UK with the punkish-pop catch of "Kiss with the Fist" – a song surprisingly missing from their set at Aragon Ballroom on Saturday – she's blossomed from an impressive soulful singer into a beguiling performer. Last year, her performance at a sold-out House of Blues hinted at her prowess; it was more fun and frenetic than polished, though. This time at the larger, sold-out Aragon, Welch added dark allure and elegance into the mix. And her nuanced set, which featured a couple new songs, signaled an intriguing new direction.

To dunk You might not have the moves to play with Team USA's Olympic basketball team, but you can wear the same kicks. Nike's new Hyperdunk sneakers ($110) hit the shelves Saturday at Niketown (699 N. Michigan Ave.). To learn Make sure you don't get left without TV when the analog signals turn off in February when you drop by the digital TV road show from 2 to 9 p.m. Friday at Best Buy (8900 S. Lafayette Ave.). To reside Learn about a new affordable housing option for artists on the South Side at an informational meeting Saturday at noon at The Grand Ballroom (6351 S. Cottage Grove Ave.)

It may be time for Bowser to start scaling back on the dog chow, especially if he's tipping the scale, like 60 percent of all adult dogs And if this is the case, dog owners and their pets may want to trot over to The Fit & Trim National Rib Check Day at Oz Park from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. There, veterinarians and technicians will demonstrate the rib check (weight checking) method, answer fitness questions and give out information and prizes. The event will also have something for the buffed pooch: Chicago's Fittest Dog contest.

1. Hungry for a cure Scientists at the National Institutes of Health are using a popular hot dog preservative in experimental medical treatments. Patients drew the line, however, at bathing in sweet relish and chopped onions. 2. Um . . . Did someone want to mention to these scientists that we already have an obesity problem in this country? 3. Dog days Summer movie attendance was down 12 percent this year. Why? People blame a lot of different things, but I'm sticking with "The Island."

Teen actress Peyton List will be making an appearance in Naperville during Last Fling. List, who stars in the Disney Channel's "Jessie," will be part of a meet and greet from 3 to 5 p.m. Sept. 1 in Family Fun Land at Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St. The teen also has appeared in "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules," "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days," "Remember Me," and "27 Dresses. " Entrance to List's appearance is free, but attendees must have a wristband, which will be distributed in Family Fun Land beginning at 10 a.m. Sept.

Ever since I was a kid, I have dreaded the end of summer. Those three-month summer vacations that began in June always went by in the blink of an eye. Before I knew it, I was back in the boys husky department at J.C. Penney buying my white Levi's and Madras shirts for another school year. My mom always tried to mitigate the pain and suffering by taking both my brother and me out for an ice cream after the back-to-school shopping, so there was that to look forward to. Of course, a little less ice cream might have kept me out of the boys husky department.

The following are some of the columns planned for Reuters Business Report in the week ahead. While most of the stories will appear as planned, all are subject to change. Please look at the daily Business News Schedule for any updates. SUNDAY WALL ST WEEK AHEAD - Investors will have to deal with a slew of major economic reports as they grapple with the looming possibility of a Greek exit from the euro zone which has been pressuring equities recently in a holiday shortened week.